Five storylines to watch during Patriots-Colts

Five storylines to watch during Patriots-Colts originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

FOXBORO — Typically, as we get closer to game day, we dig into the Xs and Os that will decide that week’s outcome and come up with what we’ve called our Matchups Preview.

With the Patriots sitting at 2-7, and with the nitty-gritty of each week’s game mattering less than some of the bigger-picture Patriots issues at play, we’re going to roll with a different style of preview. Until further notice.

Here are the five storylines we’ll be tracking Sunday:

1. Can Mac Jones slow himself down?

Mac Jones wasn’t the primary reason the Patriots lost to the Commanders a week ago. He made throws to Jalen Reagor and JuJu Smith-Schuster that could have drastically impacted the outcome had they been caught. They weren’t.

But he also wasn’t good enough to paper over those mistakes. And Jones had his own miscues that drastically impacted the outcome themselves.

His footwork was shoddy, leading to missed throws. His decision-making was off, turning down throws that might’ve yielded big gains or checking into calls that failed. And though his one turnover deflected off Smith-Schuster’s hands in the waning moments of the game, he had another throw that could have been easily picked deep in Washington territory.

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Perhaps because he’s playing in a new offense, perhaps because he hasn’t trusted his protection, or perhaps because there’s something else that has made him unsure behind center, it appears as though Jones has been sped up in the pocket at times. He’s getting rid of the football more quickly than he should in those moments, or making choices with the football before he needs to make them.

Bill O’Brien acknowledged earlier this week that Jones has submitted those kinds of moments at points this season.

“I think there’s some truth to that,” O’Brien said. “It kind…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/five-storylines-watch-during-patriots-235924403.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2023-11-11 00:15:23

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